The first Saturday of the COVID-19 suspension...

So, indeed as I feared at the time, it looks most likely that last Saturday's visit to Huntingdon Town will prove to be my last groundhop of the season. Even on Monday, my local Step 5 clubs were very hopeful of playing their midweek fixtures at least. But all that changed at 5pm on Monday when Boris Johnson that all social gatherings were strongly discouraged. That inevitably translated into a total cessation of football at all levels across the country, and as the week went on, it became clear that, although games throughout March were initially postponed, the suspension will be lasting much longer than that, probably until the summer at the very earliest. The lockdown cranked up to all pubs, clubs and leisure facilities being forced to close their doors from Friday evening for the foreseeable future.

Perhaps for the first time ever, I have not really been missing football, it feels like there is so much more to think about in life right now. However, before the inevitable total lockdown arrives, I decided to go for a long walk in the countryside today, making the most of bright sunshine (oh the irony now that the football season has been suspended!) albeit with a stiff, chilly breeze in exposed spots). I certainly respected the social distancing instructions, not seeing more than half a dozen people throughout the approximate ten mile walk, although I did have to stop a couple of times to save cast sheep en route as I crossed farmland.

The tiny village of Hooe was my destination half way round, and I decided to drink the bottle of Sussex IPA from Arundel Brewery that I had brought with me at Hooe Recreation Ground, a lovely rural and peaceful setting which is where Sidley United, now of the Mid Sussex League but formerly of the Sussex County League, play their home fixtures since their eviction from The Gullivers in 2013. It's a very rural, basic venue, with a wooden hut housing the changing rooms and a tea bar set some way behind one of the goals, and is naturally enclosed by trees.

So I did indeed spend this Saturday afternoon at a football ground...but this is as close as it will get to the matchday experience for the next few months sadly. But the overriding feeling for me is that pales into insignificance as well focus on getting through this nightmarish, dangerous period and striving to remain safe and well to come out the other side.

Huntingdon Town 2 v 0 Blackstones

Saturday 14th March 2020
United Counties League Division One
Jubilee Park, Huntingdon
Admission: £2.50 (half price for season ticket holders of any other club)
Programme: Online only
Attendance: 85

 

Well these are strange times indeed, thanks to the Coronavirus outbreak which has struck fear and, in some quarters at least, panic into the population. And the fate of football matches from today for the foreseeable future has swayed considerably in quick time over the last few days. On Thursday, Prime Minister Boris Johnson, supported by scientific experts, encouraged the British people to pretty much carry on usual with their activities, including sporting fixtures. But after it was subsequently announced that several high profile players and Arsenal manager were suffering symptoms and needed to self isolate, the Premier League and EFL announced at Friday lunchtime an immediate suspension of their fixtures until the end of the month at least. With the FA leaving it up to individual leagues to decided whether to proceed with their fixtures, a rather confusing picture soon emerged. The Southern and Isthmian Leagues soon followed the lead of the Premier League and EFL, but rather surprisingly, the National League and Northern Premier League announced that their fixtures would be played. Some Step 5 and 6 leagues announced an immediate suspension of their fixtures, whilst others declared that their fixtures should go ahead, subject to constant review in these uncertain times. As this could well prove to be the last day I could watch football for weeks, if not months, I particularly wanted to visit a new ground today, but there were no new grounds for me to visit in the Southern Combination, Southern Counties East or Wessex Leagues, and although there was a new ground to visit in the Combined Counties League, at the Club des Sports for Kensington & Ealing Borough's home fixtures, I did not fancy a trip by train, and far less on the tube, in the current climate. So I decided to make the long journey by car to Cambridgeshire for this game in the United Counties League.

Jubilee Park is located approximately two and a half miles north east of Huntingdon town centre, out in the open countryside, with a large car park available at the entrance of the complex. Although there is a traditional style turnstile and payment booth, these are not currently in use, instead spectators pass by and pay the admission fee just inside the clubhouse. The main room for visitors is quite spacious inside, with rows of tables and chairs, and hot food and refreshment outlet, and bar, adjacent to each other. Full length windows are located along the pitch-facing side, with several wooden picnic tables scattered outside, behind one of the goals. The pitch is hedged in and surrounded by junior pitches and an archery range, and there are two metallic all-seater stands stretching from the corner flag, with quite a long stand covering a flat area straddling the half way line. Although dugouts are located in front of this stand, they were not in use today, instead dugouts on the opposite side were used. There is just hard standing available around the rest of the pitch. The 24 page programme, which was only available for download, was bright, colourful and informative about the various teams of the club, with interesting reading material and plenty of stats and facts. Under the circumstances, an electronic programme was probably preferable to handling a printed copy!

Huntingdon came into this game second bottom in the table, with three wins and seven draws from their 29 league games, with their last win coming back in early October, and have picked up just six points, from six draws, from their last 20 league games. Three of those points came in their last five league games though in a sign of improvement, and today would be the first home game for their new manager. Stamford based Blackstones were in sixth place, following 14 wins and four draws from their 28 league games, but although they beat bottom of the table Lutterworth Athletic 5-1 at home, they had lost their previous three league games, and the previous two before that. When the two teams met in the reverse fixture just before Christmas, Blackstones won 4-0.

On a dry, overcast afternoon, this game had an explosive start, with the home side taking the lead with barely a minute on the clock, Archie Sayer dribbling across the edge of the area before firing the ball into the top left corner. A dream start for Huntingdon and for Sayer on his debut for the club. Blackstones had a chance on 10 minutes when the keeper was caught in no man's land but an attempted floated lob went just over the bar. On 24 minutes, a Blackstones pass in midfield took a deflection into the path of a Huntingdon striker clear through on goal, but from a slight angle, the eventual shot was parried. But they did double their lead on 29 minutes, thanks to another fortunate deflection, this time in the area with the ball landing at the feet of Ash Ingham, and after the keeper strangely committed himself on the floor very early, Ingham passed the ball into the bottom right corner of the net. They had another chance on 42 minutes when their player cut inside before sending a fizzing shot just over the far top corner.

The second half was rather uneventful, and apart from a half chance each for both sides, Blackstones never looked likely to get back into the game as Huntingdon saw the game out quite comfortably. Four minutes into added on time, Huntingdon were reduced to ten men, Caleb Steele, who had had a good game, was shown a second yellow card, but it did seem a case of mistaken identity, as a team mate had made a bad foul.

So, a very welcome win for Huntingdon, over five months since their last, and a great start for their new manager. It certainly was a strange, eerie atmosphere today, with all of the concerns and fears about the spread of COVID-19. Personally. I think it was the right decision of the league to carry on with their fixtures, which was in line with the government's advice, steered by scientific experts, to carry on with life as much as possible, before it really does become essential to lock down. Whilst there no doubt was a small risk at yesterday's game, that surely is extremely small compared to entering supermarkets, using public transport, or going down to the pub or any other leisure activity. That said, who really knows exactly what is the right approach, and I have no issues with games being called off where players or officials showed signs of having the virus. Rather than a blanket ban, carrying on with fixtures, but with no players or clubs pressured into playing should they have concerns, seems to be right approach to me. All of that said, I would imagine that all games will now be called off after this weekend, despite positive noises from my local Step 5 and 6 clubs regarding their midweek fixtures, as circumstances overtake the advice given, which is a shame as I had trips to Boston United and Salford City to look forward to over the next two weekends, and I fear that this may well have proved to be my final game of the season.

The electronic programme can be viewed by clicking here.

Charlton Athletic 0 v 1 Middlesbrough

Saturday 7th March 2020
EFL Championship
The Valley, Charlton
Admission: Season Ticket
Programme: £3.00
Attendance: 18.080 (1,750 away)

Following my earlier game at Parkside, home of Aveley but to watch the match between Basildon United and Tilbury, I then proceeded to drive along the A13 to the London Docklands area, through the Blackwall Tunnel, passing by Canary Wharf and the O2 en route, and then park up about a 20 minute walk away from The Valley, arriving at the ground with about half an hour to spare.

This really would be a crucial game for Charlton in the battle to avoid slipping into the relegation zone for the first time this season. I came away from the last home game, a 3-1 win against relegation rivals Luton Town, feeling a lot more comfortable that we would steer clear of the relegation zone. However, two away games since then changed that, first losing with a goal deep into added on time at Sheffield Wednesday, 1-0, although that did not tell the full story of what was a dire performance where we hoped to cling on for a point but apparently ultimately got what we deserved, and then a devastating 4-0 defeat at relegation rivals Huddersfield Town, although again, that did not tell the full story, as two late goals gave the final scoreline a distorted view. With other clubs at the bottom of the table hitting decent form, that left Charlton in 20th place in the table, following ten wins and nine draws, just two places above the relegation zone, and one point above the first team in that zone - Middlesbrough. They arrived at The Valley in dreadful form and in freefall though, not having won since New Years Day, picking up just five points from ten games since then, and manager Jonathan Woodgate will no doubt be very glad he has one the most patient chairmen in football in Steve Gibson. In the reverse fixture in early December, Middlesbrough won 1-0, in what was apparently a very blunt and limp display by the Addicks on the day.

A match report can be found by clicking here, and brief video highlights by clicking here.

This really was an awful performance by the Addicks, particularly in the first half, when players made so many basic mistakes. The second half was certainly an improvement, as we went on to create some decent chances to equalise, and were denied a clear penalty when a defender held Lyle Taylor for dear life as a corner was coming in. But overall, as Charlton sank into the relegation zone following this defeat, this was perhaps the first time I really felt that relegation is looking more likely than survival, considering most of our injured players are back to fitness yet still results are poor, and losing against relegation rivals in successive games is not a good sign.

However, little did I realise when leaving the Valley of the events that were about to take over the season. This match was played under the shadow of the looming and encroaching threat of COVID-19. The game on the following Saturday was still looking likely to take place as late as Thursday, when the government announced that, whilst taking precautions such as washing hands regularly, people should still go about their daily life and events should still took place. However, as it was announced that more and more players and coaches had to go into self-isolation having shown symptoms of the virus, all professional games were called off on the Friday. The situation quickly developed from there, and it soon became apparent that there would be no restarting of football for a long, long time - May / June at best.

Yet, that was by no means the only concern for Charlton fans, as on the Monday night following the Middlesbrough game, an almighty public spat played out between the major shareholder, Tahnoon Nimer, and Executive Chairman Matt Southall, with allegations classily vented by Nimer on Instagram that Southall had been living an extravagant lifestyle at the club's expense, then announcing he was pulling out of the club, with Southall announcing that the club had accepted Nimer's resignation from the board, and bizarrely suspending long time club secretary Chris Parkes, a decision which was reversed within 24 hours. Nimer then seemed to have a change of heart, announcing that he was determined to rid the club of Southall, enlisting club officials to suspend and remove him from The Valley, and eventually it was announced that Southall and fellow board member Jonathan Heller were removed from the board, and replaced by two unknown Romanians - one with past allegations of bribery and corruption against him. With it far from certain that Nimer has the money to fund Charlton - his failure to do so previously led to the club having a transfer embargo during the January transfer window, not known until now - who knows how this will pan out, as Charlton's (and The Valley's) very existence looks in grave danger. Perhaps the COVID-19 provoked suspension of football came at a good time for Charlton, giving the club some time to resolve issues behind the scenes without affecting on-field performances.

Returning to the COVID-19 outbreak, tragic news broke on 26th March that the club's superfan, Seb Lewis, had passed away after contracting the virus. This was devastating news for the club and its fans, at the passing of a popular, likeably eccentric character at the age of just 38, and had racked up a whopping 1078 consecutive games, home and away, following Charlton since February 1998. A brief news report can be viewed by clicking here. The club will certainly be the poorer without his amazing support up and down the country.

Basildon United 1 v 3 Tilbury

Saturday 7th March 2020
Isthmian League North Division
Parkside. Aveley
Admission: £10.00
Programme: £2.00
Attendance: 107

As Charlton were at home today, taking in this game was a real bonus, and one that I had only discovered late on Friday evening. With the pitch  at Basildon's home ground Gardiners Close currently unplayable, with the last home fixture played there on 11th January, the club switched this fixture to Parkside, the impressive home ground of Aveley FC with its 3G pitch. But with ground tenants Grays Athletic playing their home fixture here at 3, and the other tenant of Parkside, May & Baker, playing their fixture last night, this game had a 11.30 kick off, which allowed plenty of time for me to make my way along the A13 after the game to arrive in plenty of time for my 3pm kick off at The Valley.

Parkside is located about 3 miles north of the Dartford Crossing, with the drive passing by the now sadly unused Ship Lane ground, former home of Thurrock FC, and through the village of Aveley, with the ground located next to the Aveley bypass. Plenty of parking is available within the complex, withe outer facing side of the complex building in an attractive silver and navy blue colour scheme, with AVELEY FC spelt out along the front. Small metallic identikit turnstile blocks are located either side of the building, with only one open for this game. Inside, it's a really impressive facility, sensibly sized, looks smart, stylish and colour co-ordinated, and has a nice symmetry about it. The standout feature is the main stand, with four rows of seating, plenty of standing space along the back, and inside the clubhouse, which has full length windows along the front, is spacious inside. A tea bar window is located in the exterior wall to the side. Straddling the half way line of the opposite side is a metallic stand with four rows of seating, with a decent incline and legroom. Behind both ends, there are further small metallic stands, but covering steps to stand on, either side of the goal. The 36 page programme had a good mix of interesting reading material and an abundance of club and league stats and facts.

Geographically, this was more of a home fixture for the visitors than the hosts, with Tilbury about a 15 minute drive away compared with 25 minutes from Basildon. And this game would be a tough assignment for Basildon United, who are battling to stay above the one relegation Play-Off berth, against a club pushing hard for promotion. Basildon were in 18th place in the 20 club division, following six wins and five draws from their 24 league games. They were just 2 points above bottom placed Romford, although both clubs have games in hand on all other clubs in the bottom half. Tilbury were in second place, following 15 wins and five draws from their 26 league games, and look a good bet for a Play-Off spot, but the one automatic promotion spots is probably beyond them, as they're were eleven points adrift of Maldon & Tiptree, and have played two games more.

On a bright morning, this was a really entertaining game to watch, particularly the first half. Tilbury has the better of the opening exchanges, and saw a low shot by Ola Ogunwamide  deflected just wide with the keeper flat-footed on four minutes. But with their first attack on goal, Basildon took the lead on 7 minutes, Khadean Campbell playing a one-two with Cox, before slotting the ball in via the inside of the post. On 14 minutes, Tilbury were awarded a penalty, when a cross was handled by Basildon captain Ben O'Brien, but Lewis Smith saw his penalty saved low to the keeper's left. Basildon then had three good chances to extend their lead, and they were made to pay for not taking them when Tilbury equalised on 32 minutes thanks to an absolute screamer from Tom Barton, striking the ball on the half-volley Fromm about 30 yards into the top left corner, brushing the keeper's fingers on its way through. And five minutes later, the turnaround was complete, thanks to another superb goal. Brian Moses jinked his way from close to the half way line, through midfield and defence, before striking the ball past the keeper from a tight angle. Basildon had a chance to equalise on the stroke of half time, when it was Campbell's turn to jink his way through the Tilbury defence to open up a one on one with the keeper, but as he tried to take the ball around the keeper, the keeper got a touch to the ball.

The second half was less end to end, but still both teams created some good chances, but the crucial next goal was scored by Tilbury eight minutes from time, when the ball was floated into the area from a deep free kick, and Barton headed the ball into the top right corner. And things got even trickier for Basildon three minutes later, when substitute Joe Staunton was shown a straight red card for a high tackle. And with that, the game was up for Basildon, and the scoreline could have got worse for them in the remaining minutes, but that would have been harsh. Indeed, there were plenty of positives for Basildon to draw from their performance, but we're ultimately defeated by some moments of real quality from their lofty opponents.

This was the first game when the dark clouds of Coronavirus started to approach, as warnings were abound to wash hands at every available opportunity in the news, and the usual pre-match handshakes on the pitch ahead of kick-off were avoided. But little did we realise how quickly the situation would deteriorate in the coming weeks...